This Skin That Divides Us
by Karen Rhine
Summary: Soubi comes to visit Ritsuka late at night, persistent as always. Takes place after the anime ends.


Disclaimer - I don't own the wonderful creation that is Loveless. I'm content enough to squee over it (and write fanfic of course!).

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Ritsuka sat on his bed, curled up in a ball, clutching his legs, and staring at his computer from across the room. Next to his mouse lay the piece of paper that was given to him by the pair known as Sleepless, the code that was supposed to tell him everything he needed to know. His ears flattened on his head as he continued to stare. He couldn't stop thinking about that dream he'd had while he slept at Doctor Katsuko's place.

It had all been so real. The heat of the flames, the chill of the snow, the terror that filled his heart and had continued to grow with everyone he found dying. The anger and fright that filled him as Soubi tried to kill him...

He grimaced and laid down, yanking the bedsheets over his body. He shut his eyes tight, trying to will out all the images. All those horrifying images. It had been a dream, everyone was alright. He had seen them all, he had walked with Soubi. Soubi had hugged him tightly, his words ringing in the back of Ritsuka's mind.

_"A life without Ritsuka... I can't..."_

A draft caused him to shiver, even from under his blankets. He left the window open? Sighing, he yanked his covers off and got up to shut it, stopping short and blinking.

"S-soubi?"

The taller man said nothing, his blue eyes staring down at Ritsuka behind his glasses, as always. He stepped forward, reaching out and taking hold of Ritsuka's arm. Surprised, Ritsuka took a step back.

"What are you-" he started, but Soubi interrupted.

"Ritsuka, I love you."

Ritsuka blushed and stared at the floor. Why did he always say stuff like that? Soubi continued to close the distance between them, causing Ritsuka to continue moving backwards. His shock and panic caused him to lose his balance and fall backwards onto his bed. Soubi had let go by this time and Ritsuka propped himself up on his hands, only to see Soubi kneeling down right in front of him.

"What are you doing?!" he asked, embarrassed and frustrated like he always seemed to be in Soubi's presence. His tail straightened itself, showing his alarm.

"Ritsuka," Soubi muttered, causing Ritsuka to shiver. "I love only you."

"Stop it, why do you always say that?" Ritsuka hated how Soubi's deep voice affected him sometimes, sending shivers up his spine and a sudden heat filling his cheeks.

"Because it is so," the blonde said simply. Ritsuka's ears flattened and he looked away, staring at the wall.

"Because I'm your Sacrifice..." he whispered so softly that Soubi probably wouldn't have heard if he wasn't so close. Every time Soubi uttered those words, it hurt Ritsuka more and more. Were these confessions of love something he felt obliged to do because he was his Sentouki? Had it been the same way with Seimei?

"Yes. You are my Sacrifice, and I your Sentouki."

Ritsuka felt unexplainable tears trying to rush to the surface. Of course that's all they were to each other. It would never be anything else. Angry, he clenched his teeth and shoved Soubi away, who fell backwards, obvious shock written on his face. He put a hand out under him to stop himself from falling flat on his back and steadied himself. Ritsuka stood up, hands balled up into fists, and glared down at him.

"Yes, and that's all it is to you! All it ever has been, and all it ever will be! I'm sure it was the same with Seimei!" he all but screamed at Soubi, unable to suppress the anger anymore. "I don't know why you bother! Why are you even here right now? Just go home!!"

Soubi stood up and yanked Ritsuka into a hug even tighter than the last one they had shared, outside in the snow. Ritsuka shoved his fists into his chest, trying to push away, but Soubi's grip was too tight.

"Let go!" he practically ordered. He couldn't stand it anymore. Instead of complying, though, all Soubi did was place a hand under his chin and lift his face up to where they were staring into each other's eyes. Though his anger had far from subsided, Ritsuka found himself almost frozen as those deep blue orbs stared into him.

"You misunderstand," Soubi told him. Then, he leaned down and claimed Ritsuka's lips in a kiss that seemed different from all the others, more...needy? As always, Ritsuka found himself lost in the kiss, his mind racing. Before long he found his stubborn streak and pushed back, panting just slightly.

"No, I think I understand very well," he huffed, finally getting out of Soubi's arms and walking back to his bed. He sat down and grabbed his pillow, hugging it to him in frustration. He could still feel the flush in his cheeks and the burning warmth on his lips from the kiss.

Soubi turned and walked over to him, obviously determined.

"No, Ritsuka. I have loved you even before you were my Sacrifice."

Ritsuka stared up at him, but Soubi ignored it, getting down on the bed and pulling him into another kiss. As Soubi began pushing him down onto the bed slowly, now on top of him, Ritsuka found himself void of all control. Just like the time before, when Soubi had been in bed, injured, Ritsuka could not find the desire to push him away. Instead, his lips parted in a soft sigh, which Soubi took as an invitation to deepen the kiss.

Ritsuka's mind was spinning, and he found himself kissing the older man back. Even before? How did...Soubi hadn't met him before then. Unless he had seem him back when he was still Seimei's Sentouki, though Ritsuka didn't remember.

He was jerked out of his thoughts as he felt Soubi's warm hand under his shirt. The area where their skin touched seemed electric. Ritsuka gasped a little bit in shock at the bold contact; Soubi had never done anything like this before. At that, he froze, gazing down at Ritsuka as if searching for any order to stop. His wide eyes shifted down to Soubi's hand on his stomach, then back up at his face. Part of him wanted to say something, but he couldn't get anything out.

"Ritsuka," Soubi whispered. "If you are uncomfortable, order me. No matter what, remember that I do love you."

He leaned back down, his lips running across Ritsuka's jawbone.

"Just order me," he whispered.

Ritsuka seemed to sink into the bed, closing his eyes, Soubi above him. The older man was placing kisses all along his jaw and neck, each one leaving behind a sting that left Ristuka breathless. As his mind kept spinning, he lost all will to resist Soubi, secretly hoping that all his words were truth.

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Ritsuka awoke with a jolt the next morning, shivering by the sudden chill surrounding him. He raised his hand and touched his chest, which was bare. Then, he noticed the warmth to his right. He looked over and blushed bright red. Soubi lay next to him, shirtless as well, and fast asleep. He glanced around the room in a daze, noticing a pile of clothes next to the bed, which he identified as both his and Soubi's. He then blushed even more. Had they...

He reached up and felt around the top of his head. He sighed in relief, his ears were still there. A low chuckle sounded beside him.

"Ritsuka," Soubi smiled, sitting up. "Good morning."

"M-morning..." he muttered, still blushing. Soubi reached up and ruffled his hair. When he pulled his hand back down, he held in it a pair of black ears. Ritsuka's hand jerked back up and felt his head and yelped. "My...my ears are gone!"

Soubi set Ritsuka's ears on the bed and leaned in, giving him a sweet kiss.

"Of course they are," he smiled. In that moment, everything that happened the previous night came back to Ritsuka, and it only resulted in him blushing even more.

"S-so..." he muttered. "What does this..."

Soubi pulled him close and Ritsuka's cheek rested against his chest. The young boy closed his eyes, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his chest rise and fall. Soubi started playing with his hair as he so often liked to do.

"It means that the skin that divided me and you is no longer in the way," he whispered. Ritsuka sighed and looked up at him, but did not actually move his head.

"That almost sounded like it could be one of your spells," he informed him. "Don't sound so official. Tell me, personally, what this means."

"Is that an order?"

"Yes."

"It means that I am yours more than just your Sentouki. It means that we are connected more than Seimei and I ever were. It means that I love you."

Ritsuka smiled, closing his eyes and leaning against Soubi's chest again. More than just a Sentouki...and he really did love him.

Love... Stronger than like? He believed so. While he liked his friends, his teacher, Soubi's friend, how he felt about Soubi was stronger than that like. Perhaps it was love.

"I love you too, Soubi."


End file.
